Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

“The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo represents all that is best in the UK’s Armed Forces – talented, professional, and engaging internationally with our global allies.

“As 70% of the audience is from the UK the Tattoo helps showcase our Armed Forces to our people, and it also provides a key networking and engagement opportunity to our senior military leaders.

“The Tattoo has raised over £10m for Armed Forces and Arts organisations through its Charitable Trust, and it contributes £77m a year to the Scottish economy.”

Celebrating the theme ‘Splash of Tartan’, these Armed Forces musicians will make up a cast of 1,200 artists performing to a live audience of 220,000, and a global TV audience of more than 100 million.

Performers from 48 countries have taken part in the extravaganza with this year’s top international acts including the United States Naval Forces Europe Band and the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force Central Band.

In recognition of this being the Year of the Royal Navy, and Scotland’s unique role in building UK warships, the finale will see the Esplanade transformed into an aircraft carrier flight deck, featuring a Lynx Mk III maritime aircraft, and an CGI projection onto the Castle walls of an aircraft taking off from the deck. As the audience arrives they will also walk under a life-sized model of the new F-35B fighter, with Royal Navy personnel providing a warm welcome too.